We have compiled a list of the best hacker movies and documentaries that you can watch in 2020. If you want to learn more about hacking or simply enjoy the subject matter, this list will be useful to you. Enjoy watching!
Best Hacker Documentaries
Below, you will find a list of the top hacking documentaries you can watch to learn more about what hackers get up to.
Hackers Are People Too
Hackers Are People Too is a 2008 hacker documentary by Ashley Schwartau. The documentary was filmed at two hacker conferences. It pieces together interviews with dozens of hackers to create an accurate portrayal of the hacking community.
The 45-minute long film attempts to deconstruct the negative overtone of the term ‘hacker.’ This documentary doesn’t take a deep dive on the technicalities of what hacking is. Instead, it focuses on the people, the hacking community, and the good done by white hat hackers.
This documentary is for anyone that wants to know what hackers are really like.
The Secret History of Hacking
The Secret History of Hacking is a 2001 documentary that was produced by Mira King and directed by Ralph Lee. This Discovery Channel hacker documentary delves into computer hacking, phreaking, and social engineering. It also focuses on the lives of famous and infamous hackers.
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The Secret History of Hacking also takes a look at where hacking began, how we got to where we are today, and why hacking continues to be resilient. The 50-minute long film is informative without necessarily feeling dry.
This is one of the best hacker documentaries for anyone that is keen on learning the real history surrounding modern hacking.
Hackers Wanted
Hackers Wanted is a 2009 documentary that was never officially released. The documentary was written and directed by Sam Bozzo and narrated by Kevin Spacey who also co-produced it.
The documentary failed to get a release date because of differing opinions witnessed within the production team regarding the film’s final quality. Still, a copy of this film eventually made it online on the BitTorrent network.
The film takes a look at the origin and nature of hacking by following the life of Adrian Lamo. Lamo was a hacker-turned-security analyst who found himself running from the FBI overnight. The events in the following days were captured and made into this documentary.
This is a good film for anyone that is keen on contrasting Lamo’s story with that of other controversial figures throughout the hacking history.
The Great Hack
The Great Hack is a 2019 documentary by Netflix that follows the Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2018. The Cambridge Analytica saga is one of the biggest tech controversies to have happened in recent years. Cambridge Analytica privately collected Facebook data of 87 million users to manipulate voters. The company allegedly helped Donald Trump to win his 2016 election and helped pass the UK Brexit referendum.
The film starts by graphically showing how data from people leaked from their laptops and phones and recordings involving a few key players. The Great Hack pieces together the story of a company brought down by its own unethical behavior.
The film raises questions surrounding cultural polarization and privacy. It is a must-watch for anyone curious about how companies use people’s data to push their own agenda.
Best Hacker Movies
Below, you will find a list of top hacker movies that you can watch for entertainment purposes.
Hackers
Hackers is a 1995 movie that was written by Rafael Moreu and directed by Iain Softley. The film follows an eleven-year-old teenage hacker who is charged with crashing over 1,500 Wall Street computers. He is banned from using touch-tone phones and computers until he is 18 years. On his 18th birthday, he receives a computer and uses it to hack into the computer network of a local TV station. This move sets him on a downward spiral where he ends up meeting a group of high school hackers.
The film is a must-watch for anyone keen on seeing what havoc hackers can cause.
Who Am I?
Who Am I is a 2014 hacker movie directed by Baran bo Obar. The film follows Benjamin, a computer expert who is lonely. Benjamin learned to program at a young age and started hacking at 14.
His parents died when he was young and he lived with his grandmother. He felt like a loser in real life but the internet gave him a sense of belonging. He would later meet with Max, who, together with his other friends come together to form a computer hacker group known as CLAY.
Who Am I is a thriller movie with a plot that will keep you at the edge of your seat.
WarGames
WarGames is one of the best hacker movies and a classic. John Badham directed this 1983 movie.
The movie follows the story of a teenage hacker, David Lightman, who hacks into the War Operation Plan Response (WOPR) belonging to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mainframe system by accident. Lightman thinks the WOPR is a computer game and gets it to run a nuclear war simulation. Unknown to him, he sets the country’s nuclear forces rolling in what would lead it to World War III.
Being a classic, WarGames is a must-watch for anyone keen on understanding the danger hackers can cause when they gain access to private information.
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